Locomotive front end construction



Oct. 11, 1938.

H. A. HOKE LOCOMOTIVE FRONT END CONSTRUCTION Filed June 4, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR:

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LOCOMOT'IVE FRONT END CONSTRUCTION Filed June 4;, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HG: X

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Patented Oct. 11, 1938 This invention rel tion for a locomotive or the like, and to the form of the pilot and the pilot coupler is mounted thereon.

It often occurs that when a locomotive strikes an automobile, or similar object at a grade crossing, the forwardly projecting locomotive either penetrate vehicle is caug ates to a front end constructhe manner in which front coupler of the the side of the veht under the coupler on until the speed of Thus the vehicle is d eventually dropped tive passing over the ing it, and usually fatally inhe present invention is to prond construction for a locomotive aracterized by a housing for the t coupler when such coupler further characterized by a pilot with deflecting surfaces so formed and so related to the housed coupler as to minimize the g or dragging an object As a result of such possibility of carryin struck by the locomotive. novel construction, vehicles or other objects struck by the locomotive are caused to be immediately thrown off the track, lessening the and its occupants, and of derailment of any damage to the vehicle decreasing the possibility part of the passin Another object o in a locomotive front en character described, a means for the pilot coup with the bumper beam, an tially solid deflecting surfaces housed posi positioned substantially flus g configuration of the deflecting surfaces of the y invention is to provide a locomotive front end construction of the character described, in which the bumping load is better diffused throughout the front end, reducing localized strains.

Other more specific o characterizing my invention will become more the description hereinafter diment or example thereof,

Another object of m bjects and advantages fully apparent from set forth of one embo UNETED ST'i'ES PATENT OFFICE 2,132,822 LOCOMOTIVE FRONT END CONSTRUCTION Harry A. Hoke, Altoona, Pa., assignor to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 4, 1936, Serial No. 83,410

having reference to the accompanying draw ings. Of the drawings:

Fig. I represents a plan view of a locomotive front end construction embodying my invention, and showing the pilot and coupler, in its housed position.

Fig. II represents a side elevation of the same.

Fig. III represents a front elevation of the same.

Figs. IV, V and VI, represent vertical cross sections of the same, taken as indicated by the lines IV-IV, V-V and V'I-VI, respectively, of

' Fig. III.

Fig. VII represents a perspective view of the front end construction, with the separate sections spaced apart to show details of construction.

Fig. VIII shows a perspective view of a locomotive front end construction for another form of my invention.

Fig. IX is a plan view showing the coupler in assembled relation with the front of Fig. VIII, only the pertinent portion of the front being shown, and that partially in section.

Fig. X is a sectional view, taken about the lines X-X of Fig. IX.

Fig. XI is an exploded view of the elements associated with the coupler in its assembled relation with the locomotive front, the coupler and front being omitted; and,

Fig. XII is a perspective view of a locking element.

With reference to the drawings, Figs. I-VII, there is shown a particular example of my invention in which a locomotive front end is built up of three separate sections rigidly secured together and each comprising an integral casting.

The central section includes the central portion i of a bumper beam, and a pilot 2 formed integrally with the bumper beam and projecting outwardly and downwardly therefrom. The front surfaces 3 of the pilot converge forwardly towards the center line of the locomotive, and form deflecting surfaces which tend to throw off to the side of the track any objects struck thereby; The pilot is cut away at one side as indicated at 4 to form a recess therein for housing the pilot coupler 5. Desirably an upstanding block 8 is formed at the opposite side of the pilot 2, the block having a side wall I which serves to limit swinging of the pilot coupler towards that side of the pilot. From the central portion I of the bumper beam, there extends for- Wardly a projection 8, reinforced by webs 9, and

having a circular opening II] which serves to accommodateone end of the coupler pin At the coupler housing 4, there is formed a horizontal shelf 32. Above this shelf i2 there are two circular ledges i3, I4, arranged in stepped formation. The upper ledge M has an opening l5 therein for supporting the lower end of the coupler pin Ii, whereas the lower ledge I3 is formed substantially complementary to the shoulders H5 at the bottom of the coupler 5 as shown most clearly in Fig. III. the block 6 there is provided an additional shelf I1. Desirably the pilot 2 is of substantially triangular cross section, as shown most clearly in Fig. VII, and has openings it! in its lower portion to render the same as light as possible, consistent with the desired strength, and the central portion i of the bumper beam is of cellular form, .aving a series of box-like divisions i9.

The wing sections of the locomotive front end construction include wing portions la, lb of the bumper beam, and wingportions 2a, 2b of the pilot. As shown most clearly in Fig. VII, each wing section is of substantially triangular cross section and includes a shelf Ha, ill) at the level of the shelf ll of the central section. The front surfaces 3a, 3b of the wing sections are substantially solid, merging with and forming continuations of the deflecting surfaces 3 of the central section. Preferably, the surfaces 3a, 3b are rounded to provide smooth curves at each side of the locomotive. teps 26 are formed in the surfaces 3a, 3b to enable a man to mount to the top of the pilot. For the purpose of lightening the structure, holes .24 are provided interiorly of each wing section. The wing sections are rigidly secured to the central section by bolts passing through holes 22. The two wing sections are substantial counterparts of each other, except that a side wall 23 is formed opposite the block 6 for defining one end of the coupler housing i.

As shown in Fig. I, the central section i of the bumper beam is joined to the end sections la, ib, with longitudinal frame members 2% of the locomotive interposed therebetween. In this manner the sections of the bumper beam are rigidly united to the vehicle frame as well as to each other, and the bumping load is better diffused and distributed. Surrounding the base of the three sections of the locomotive front end, there is a guard 25 in the form of a continuous skirt extending horizontally around the bottom edge of the pilot and secured thereto.

For limiting the swinging movement of the coupler 5, a movable stop member as is employed. The stop member 26 is desirably attached to the locomotive as a permanent fixture by means of flexible chain 2?, as shown in Fig. III, and it has thereon a pair of depending'pins 28 which fit alternatively, either within a pair of holes 353, or within a pair of holes 3| in the lower ledge it. When the coupler is in use, the stop member 2i} is positioned with its pins 28 registering with the holes 35. Under this condition, angular movement of the coupler 5 is limited at the one side by the wall I of the block 6, and at the other side by the end of the stop member 26. When the coupler 5 is not used, it is housed by withdrawing the stop member 25, and swinging the coupler 5 inwardly into the housing 4 to the position shown in Figs. I and III, and then replacing the stop member 23 with its pins 28 engaging the holes 30. Under this condition the coupler 5 is held in fixed position within the housing 4. The coupler hous- At the top of,

ing 4 is so designed that when the coupler 5 is swung inwardly, a wall 32 of the coupler is maintained substantially flush with the general configuration of the deflecting surfaces of the pilot. In other words, the wall 32 of the coupler supplements the function of the block 6 at the other side of the pilot to reduce to a minimum the size of the opening at the front of the housing 4.

In Figs. VIE-XII there is shown another form of my invention. The locomotive front shown in perspective in Fig. VIII is similar to the front described above in relation to Figs. I-VII. second form of front is formed with a more regular and more inclined front surface, the guard 25 and the shelves i'ia, ii?) of the first form of front being eliminated. Also the shelf E2 in the second form has been limited to the housing recess and does not extend out in front of the pin it as in the first form. It is also to be noted that wall I of the first form has been eliminated in the second form, leaving a rounded edge ll to limit the movement of the coupler 5.

The coupler 5 in the second form of my invention has welded to its rear end a bumping block 45 and a ring 48 cut out to receive the shank of the coupler 5 to which the ring 46 is Welded at its ends The ring 63 is also welded at points 58 to the block 35 which is rounded to conform to the inner surface of the ring it. The coupler 5 is held in place by pin it as in the first form, the space behind the pin ii being increased, and a concave bumping wall provided having the same curvature as the outer surface of ring 66 with which there is sliding contact. Two washers 54 are shown on top of the coupler 5 between it and the underside of projection 8. These washers 55 are used for making adjustments for wear of wheels, deflection of springs, etc., and sometimes one or both of them are placed under the coupler instead of both on top, as shown.

The coupler 5 is maintained either in its op erating or in its housed position by means of locking element 5i] which fits into holes 5i, 52 in ledge is. In Fig. IX the coupler 5 is shown in its operating position with the locking element in hole St. The broken lines show the coupler 5 in its housed position with locking element 50 in hole 52. In the housed position the coupler 5 is held snugly against the rear wall of the coupler housing 4. The locking element 5!) is attached to the coupler 5 by chain 2?. The coupler 5 is further supported on the ledge i3 by means'of a bearing plate 55 which is cut out at 55: to allow locking element 56 to seat in holes 5i and 52. The bearing plate 55 is held place by pins in the holes 58 which are in registry with holes 57 in shelf i3.

It will be seen that in this form of my invention the bumping load on the pin it is to a considerable extent reduced and taken by the bumping block Q5 and wall 49 to be diifused through the entire front end of the locomotive. The ring 46 closes to a large extent the opening in the locomotive front when the coupler 5 is in its housed position. This alone is a material reduction in the necessary irregularities in the front face on which objects might catch in cases of collision.

From the above description it will be apparent that the locomotive front end of this invention is characterized by a pilot having substantially solid deflecting surfaces surrounding a coupler housing, there being no projections or sharp edges extending forwardly from such solid surfaces. Moreover, the pilot being formed integrally with thebumper beam is materially strengthened and rendered capable of withstanding a severe shook without distorting or damaging the front end of the locomotive. The bumping load is well diffused through the entire front and localized strains are reduced. The coupler may readily be swung from a forwardly extending position to a housed position, and when housed becomes itself a part of the pilot assisting in deflecting away from the track any object struck thereby.

While I have described my invention with reference to two specific examples thereof, and have disclosed herein a front end construction made up Of several sections secured together, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form of the construction herein selected for illustration, and that the invention is not limited to a sectional type of front end, but comprehends many variations. Also, it will be apparent that certain features of the invention may at times be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features, all without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a front endfor a locomotive or the like having frame members, a bumper having a central portion and separate wing portions, said frame members extending between said wing portions and said central portion and being attached thereto, a pilot formed integrally with the central portion of said bumper and having substantially solid converging deflecting surfaces, separate wings attached to said pilot and formed integrally with the separate wing portions of said bumper and extending forwardly at the sides of the pilot and presenting substantially smooth and solid front surfaces merging with and forming functional continuations of the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler housing formed in the upper part of said pilot between said wings, forwardly extending projections formed integrally with the central portion of said bumper and adapted to support the ends of a coupler pin, and a coupler pivotally mounted between said projections, said coupler being adapted when not in use to be received within said housing.

2. In a front end for a locomotive or the like, a bumper having separate ends, a pilot formed integrally with said bumper and having substantially solid converging deflecting surfaces, sepa-- rate wings attached to said pilot and formed integrally with the ends of said bumper and extending forwardly to present substantially solid front surfaces merging with and forming lateral continuations of the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler housing formed in the upper portion of said pilot between said wings, and a coupler pivotally mounted on said bumper and adapted when not in use to be received within said housing.

' 3. In a front end for a locomotive or the like, a bumper, a pilot formed integrally on said bumper, a coupler having a bumping block at its back end, said bumping block having a ring attached thereto for increasing the bumping area, and a bumping wall formed in said integral bumper and pilot, said bumping wall being in. sliding contact with the ring of said bumping block for distributing the bumping load through said front end for a locomotive or the like.

4. In a front end for a locomotive or the like, a bumper, a pilot on said bumper, a coupler having a bumping block at its rear end, said coupler being in a recess in said pilot, a ring out out to receive the coupler shank and attached thereto, I

said ring extending around said bumping block which is curved to fit said ring, and a concave bumping wall formed in said pilot, said wall being in sliding contact with said ring.

5. In a front end for a locomotive or the like, a bumper, a pilot on said bumper having substantially solid converging deflecting surfaces, wings extending forwardly from said bumper at the sides of the pilot, said wings having substantially solid front surfaces merging with and forming continuations of the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler housing disposed between said wings, a ledge near the base of said housing, a coupler having a bumping block pivotally mounted for swinging movement around said ledge, a locking element adapted to occupy different positions on said ledge to limit the swinging of the coupler, a ring out out to receive the coupler shank and attached thereto, said ring extending around the bumping block, and a bumping wall in sliding contact with said ring, said coupler being adapted to be received within the housing and to be maintained therein by said locking element with the coupler head and said ring substantially flush with the general configuration of said deflecting surfaces.

6. In a front end for a locomotive or the like, a bumper, a pilot on said bumper having substantially solid converging deflecting surfaces, a coupler housing disposed within said deflecting surfaces, a coupler pivotally mounted in said housing and adapted when not in use to be received within the housing with the coupler head maintained substantially flush with the general configuration of said deflecting surfaces, and a ring extending around the back end of the coupler, said ring being of a size that its outer surface lies close to one edge of said coupler housing so that the surface of said ring is a general continuation of said deflecting surfaces. v

7. The invention of claim 6 characterized further by the fact that the back end of said coupler is formed to fit the inner surface of said ring and said ring is in sliding contact with a concave bumping wall formed in said coupler housing.

8. In a front end for a locomotive or the like, a bumper, a pilot on said bumper having substantially solid converging deflecting surfaces, wings extending forwardly from said bumper at the sides of the pilot, said wings having substantially solid front surfaces merging with and forming continuations of the deflecting surfaces of the pilot, a coupler housing disposed between'said wings, and a coupler pivotally mounted at said housing and adapted when not in use to be re-v ceived within the housing with the coupler head maintained substantially flush with the general configuration of said deflecting surfaces, said coupler having a ring extending around the back part of the coupler, said ring being cut out to receive the coupler shank, whereby the coupler in its housed position offers a more uniform deflecting surface.

HARRY A. HOKE. 

